I am a Gastroenterologist and Internist in New York City and a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Medical School. I am also the host of my own show on SiriusXM Doctor Radio: Channel 110. You can listen to me LIVE every Monday from 8 AM to 10 AM Eastern Time. The show is rerun that night and other times throughout the week.
Our office is at 228 West 82nd Street on the Upper West Side of New York City: (212)362-6468

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The summer is almost over, and school is about to begin. But that doesn't mean that we don't have a great NEW show planned for tomorrow, where we will be answering all of your questions and have some great guests scheduled!

I know we've been accused of being too interested as a society in celebrity gossip recently, but the fascination for the famous extends far longer than wanting to know about the latest exploits of Paris Hilton. Although Mozart died in 1791, scholars are still debating how he died. Join me and Emeritus Professor of Orthopedics at Northwestern University and bibliographer of the Performing Arts Musical Association Dr. William Dawson as we discuss his latest article which reviews the well over 100 papers trying to figure out how Mozart died.

Join us in discussing this medical mystery at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Have you ever wondered if staring at your computer screen was doing more than making you flabby? I certainly have. And one of the things that I worry about are my eyes. Join me and Dr. Rachel Bishop of the National Eye Institute as we talk about Computer Vision Syndrome. Find out about this problem, which affects more and more of us as we rely on computers more and more to get through our day.

If you have any questions about your vision and computer use, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will also be discussing a topic of great importance to many of us: post surgical pain. Having been there, I am well aware that surgeon's love to say "oh its nothing" about pretty much any operation: and yet it hurts like heck for up to months afterwoods. Join me and physiatrist Dr. Alpana Gowda, author of "The Complete® Idiot's Guide to Pain Relief" as we talk about practical things you can do when it hurts.

If you are suffering from pain days, weeks, months or years after surgery, and want some relief, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will of course, have a session of Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me pretty much any medical question on any topic at all and I will be glad to help! Give me call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Happy Summer. I have been enjoying the relatively good weather that we have been having in August here in New York City (as compared to our hotter than heck July) and I have been taking the time to get in shape. Our first guest, Sheri Colberg, PhD, has written a book to help diabetic athlete's get and stay in shape. Its called the Diabetic Athlete's Handbook, and we will be talking about ways that diabetics of all types (1, 1.5 and 2) can get and stay in shape.

If you or a loved one is a diabetic and wants to stay (or become) athletic give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

In our next segment, Keri Gans is back. Keri, registered dietician is coming out with a new book called the "Small Change Diet." Today we will be talking about what appears to be a new fad: eating a gluten free diet if you do not have celiac disease. We will talk about if this makes sense and answer any questions you may have on diagnosing celiac disease, and the medical and dietary management of this problem.

Call us with your gluten free questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

A special programming note: we will have Ask Dr. Ira during our third segment today: from 9 to 9:30 Eastern time. This is because we have a very special guest at 9:30 EDT: Dr. George Nichopoulos was Elvis Presley's personal physician, and August 16th is the 33rd anniversary of Elvis' death. Although many of us have our own opinions on what happened to Elvis and who enabled him, Dr. Nick has his own story to tell: he just published a book about what happened. Even though I was 11 when Elvis died, I know where I was when I found out and I know who told me and my family. This was big stuff. You are going to want to hear Dr. Nick's side of the story!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Hello from Portland, Oregon! We have been on a short hiking vacation in the Columbia River Gorge but will be back in NYC on Monday morning for my show.

I give a lot of vaccines in the office for travel. Flu shot season is coming up, and we have already pre-ordered over 500 of them for the season. One thing I can tell you is that no one really likes shots. Imagine if there were another way of getting that vaccine into your body.

Join me and Mark Prausnitz, PhD, a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology as we talk about different ways to get medication into the human body. Dr. Prausnitz will be speaking to us about new technology that allows medication to be injected via laser activated microneedles! I need to find out what that means too, but it sounds very cool.

Crohn's disease is on the rise, and it can be devastating for those diagnosed with it and their families. Join me and Crohn's disease patient Janice Chavkin and UCLA pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. David Ziring as we talk about Crohn's disease, Janice's personal story, and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundations's new endurance training program, the "CCFA Team Challenge."

Our second hour promises to be great. I have been enamored with probiotics for some time now: I regularly tell people with digestive problems to use them and I believe in their efficacy. But what's the real deal with bacteria and digestion. Hear me and have your questions answered about probiotics at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Of course, its not all about the probiotics...there are so many other things that people have questions about in medicine. Ask me anything medical at all during our last half hour...Ask Dr. Ira. Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

August already! I am heading out to beautiful Oregon tomorrow, but before that we have a great, live show planned with a wide variety of topics and interesting guests.

First, some interesting late summer reading. Malaria has been a scourge since the dawn of human We still see some of it during the summer vacation season in my office right here in New York City and it causes nearly one million deaths a year worldwide. This despite the fact that we know what causes it and how to kill it. Join me and author Sonia Shah as we discuss her new book: "The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years." Learn about this fascinating and scary disease, which still has potential to affect US travelers and has the ability to return to the Southern US, as Dengue fever has in the Florida Keys.

Call us with any questions you may have on malaria at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Hepatitis C has been a recent problem here in the United States: baby boomers in particular have been hard hit by this disease and it continues to be a major cause of liver transplantation and death. Treatments to date have not been particularly effective and have significant side effects. But there is new hope around the corner! Join me and Dr. Melissa Palmer, clinical professor of medicine at NYU and author of "Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide To Hepatitis and Liver Disease" as we talk about this disease and what you can do about it now and in the future!

If you or a loved one has suffered with hepatitis C, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

The fall is around the corner, and that means that the sinus is back! Sinusitis, one of the great causes of misery (and occasionally worse) will soon be with us. If you are continually affected by this problem, you are going to want to hear what my next guest, Dr. Joseph Jacobs, has to say. Dr. Jacobs is an expert on the nasal cavity and sinuses here at NYU.

If you have any questions about what to do about your sinuses, this is a great time to call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

We will of course end the show with Ask Dr. Ira, where you can ask me any medical question you want...anything that you forgot to ask your doctor, ask me. I also appreciate all of the great questions we have been getting to both sirius (docs@siriusxm.com) and to irabreite@yahoo.com!

Twitter

Suggest a Topic For The Show!!!

Is there anything you've ever wondered about? Did you see a medical story in the news and still have questions as to what it means. Did you ask a question that your internist or primary care doctor "didn't have time" to answer? I want to talk about it. Please send me an email . On Mondays, you can always CALL LIVE from 8AM to 10AM Eastern time at 877-NYU-DOCS.

Links

Please remember that this is an informational website and is not a substitute for seeing a health provider for your issues. All advice is given in a general sense, and should not be construed as medical advice.